The present patent application relates to portable shelters typically used for sporting activities such as ice fishing and, more particularly, to expandable shelters configured to collapse into a sled.
Typical portable ice shelters are configured to expand in one of two ways. In the first configuration, a plurality of rigid arch members are pivotably connected to a rigid sled base. The rigid arch members have the general shape of the perimeter of the sled base. The rigid arch members can be pivoted from a stored position against the sled base to a deployed position in which they are spaced from each other at pivot points to support a skin shelter, or tent. Thus, the rigid arches approximately double the footprint of the sled base. In one such configuration, the rigid arch members are configured to change shape to slightly increase the footprint of the shelter, as is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0202509 to Schamberger et al. In the second configuration, a sled base is not used and the skin shelter is supported by a pole structure that rests completely on the ice. One such ice shelter utilizes flexible poles, as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,320,332 to Reis. In either configuration, space is limited within the shelter, both vertically and horizontally, making fishing activities for anglers difficult. Additionally, these structures also result in loose skin panels that interfere with fishing activities and generate noise in windy conditions. Furthermore, other portable shelters that attempt to overcome these deficiencies result in bulky, heavy systems that are difficult to transport, deploy and set-up.